Under the night sky, only the echoes of fireworks remained.
Inside the Ferris wheel, which had silently fulfilled its role, only transparent droplets and sparkling rings were left.
I let out a lonely sigh within.
Buried in the seat, still warm, I waited for the Ferris wheel to rise again.
Then, clunk—
In the Ferris wheel, rising towards the sky as I wished, I took in the broad view of the city at night.
The scenes of the amusement park that I couldn’t visit during my school days because I had no money.
Memories of sitting alone in a deserted classroom, doing self-study.
Strolling along the streets wrapped in cold sunlight and silence.
Feeling the emotions of arriving home to a family busy packing their things.
The hearts of my parents, saying let’s go to the amusement park with bright smiles.
Finally feeling those stinging and nostalgic emotions, I stood up.
From now on, I must face my trials alone.
Even if the road is like a path of thorns.
Even if it feels like hellfire.
I must overcome everything and move forward.
Honestly, it’s scary.
I’m scared, worried, and don’t even want to think about it.
But.
Having blustered and rambled on like that,
It would be incredibly embarrassing to give up midway.
So I must do whatever it takes.
I tightly grasped the ring lying in front of me and recalled the bright smile of Rubia.
Then suddenly, a chuckle escaped.
I did say that before.
If I were to ever get married, I’d set my parents aside and pursue my happiness only.
My mom, who said that, was definitely smiling.
My dad was also grinning mischievously.
His voice telling me not to do that felt infinitely light. There was no sincerity behind it.
Did they know?
Did they try to understand, that I might be like that?
Or did they think I would be like that because they had done so?
I don’t know.
I don’t know at all, so.
Let’s ask.
Open my heart.
Embrace everything.
And move forward.
For the people who brought me here.
For the people who love me.
For the one I love.
For Rubia.
I collected my emotions and opened my eyes.
And holding onto the fleetingly happy memories,
Into the unforgettable past.
Into the nightmare that burned everything.
Towards those hellish days,
I stepped forward with a bright smile.
“I’m back.”
*
In the midst of trials, I saw the ordinary Noah.
I saw Noah happily laughing in a harmonious family.
I heard the stories of the family, saw Noah playing joyfully in places I couldn’t see in this world.
I saw Noah, crying desperately in a horrific fire.
I saw Noah, plunged into despair, witnessing his family burn before his eyes.
I saw Noah, deciding to commit suicide in another family’s house.
I saw Noah, dragging his immobile body, crawling onto the roof multiple times, and jumping down to the ground.
Within the unbreakable cycle of despair.
I saw Noah’s soul gradually crumbling, withering away.
So just before he completely extinguished,
I saw him, not as me, but in the embrace of ‘me,’ pouring out all his sorrow.
And then.
I saw him happily chattering.
With eyes not of me, looking at ‘me.’
That moment when he blushed and praised ‘my’ face.
Walking through peaceful streets, softly whispering with happiness.
Showing his own underwear.
Serving the soybean stew he made.
Pouring coffee.
Wearing clothes he had never seen before.
In a new place, happily laughing.
I saw them kissing.
After that, ‘my’ memory ended.
And in the space filled with emptiness, ‘my’ voice echoed.
[Thank you for lending me your body.]
[From now on, it’s up to you.]
[Oh, did I orchestrate all this? I didn’t do anything at all! There just happened to be the bracelet of Cartia connecting me and Noah, the necklace linking you and Noah, and the bracelet of Verdancy. It just happened!]
[Coincidence… Exactly. Maybe it’s a coincidental inevitability.]
[Anyway. You have no regrets about becoming Lilith in exchange for helping Noah, right?]
[That’s right. It’s too late to regret now, but I asked out of courtesy.]
[Hmm, just don’t curse. Anyway… From now on, Lilith’s erosion will begin.]
[You’ll have to feel the pain that Noah experiences.]
[This empty space will incessantly gnaw at your mind to swallow your existence, formed from Lilith’s vessel.]
[You have to endure an eternity in this wretched place until Noah’s trials are over.]
[The good thing is you have the necklace connected to Noah, and the anger directed at me is very sharp, I guess? Hehehe.]
[Are you going to be okay?]
[Wow… It was vulgar, but I could feel an immense determination in those words.]
[Hmm… Did you think I don’t curse because I can’t? I’m just like you! I’ve lived longer than you and can curse way better… Uh, hmm.]
[U-Understood, so calm down a bit.]
[…Ah, time’s up. I… It’s my limit now.]
[I can’t stay in your body any longer. No, I won’t even be able to remain in this world. I’ll blend into Lilith’s body and be disposed of afterward.]
[Hmm… I hope you go out and achieve what you wanted to do with Noah.]
[So please… Hang in there.]
[And, like me… I hope you won’t have any regrets.]
[Hehehe, alright. Far in the future, if we meet again, I’ll let you slap me twice then.]
[Well then, I’ll be going now.]
[I’m sorry.]
[And, thank you.]
*
Between the quietly settled night air.
I spotted Hermila vaguely standing in front of a tightly closed tent.
“You’re quite diligent.”
“Oh, Ser.”
“Is Rubia doing well?”
“…Yes.”
Right after Noah entered into trials.
Rubia, who felt his emotions through the artifact connected to Noah, lost consciousness on the spot.
And now, a year later.
Noah, who entered the trials, hasn’t returned.
And Rubia, who lost consciousness, still hasn’t opened her eyes.
Because of this, we couldn’t vacate the place and had no choice but to establish our defenses centered around the Temple of Memory.
In the process, there were numerous assaults from the army sent by Erden, but our troops, scattered in various places, managed to barely fend them off.
“It seems the two of them have a knack for being annoyingly paired.”
“Hehe… Indeed.”
Ser’s worrisome chuckle and Hermila’s troubled sigh mixed into the chilly air.
“By the way, why aren’t you eating, Hermila? Are you on a diet or something?”
Ser’s gaze fell on the cold soup left on the floor.
“Yes, I’m trying to lose some weight.”
“Be careful, you might end up just making your chest smaller. It’s already small, after all.”
“Ser, are you good at fighting?”
“I don’t go around getting beaten up.”
“Then let’s fight hand-to-hand without using spirits.”
“That’s not cowardly; it’s wise.”
Ser picked up the cold soup bowl on the floor and looked at Hermila’s arm.
“By the way, how’s that prosthetic arm of yours?”
Crackle— the sound of neatly arranged metal echoed as Hermila moved.
“You called it ‘Mistilteinn’… well, it goes without saying, it’s great. It’s sturdier than my body, which has gotten used to the level of destruction… and it seeps into the level of divine annihilation. I’d love to change all of me into Mistilteinn. Heinzel seems to really like his newly made arm too, smiling widely. I think I saw him smile for the first time since Noah disappeared. Hehe.”
Ser, who was watching the smoothly moving joints with interest, nodded satisfactorily and smiled quietly.
“It’s truly remarkable.”
Coincidentally, there was a past individual with information about Mistilteinn.
Coincidentally, there was a sufficient amount of elixir and a talented alchemist who could create Mistilteinn.
Coincidentally, there was a smith who could forge Mistilteinn.
Coincidentally, there was a robust brute to test the equipment.
Coincidentally, there was a person to imbue that equipment with its rank.
And coincidentally,
There was a spirit mage with a branch of the World Tree who could perfectly complete all of that.
“Was it coincidence, or was it fate? Even I, the genius of the century, cannot tell anymore.”
“It can’t be a coincidence, right? I believe… it must be fate.”
“Fate, huh… The will of this world moves to eliminate things that obstruct the plan. That means there may be a counteracting will… in other words, another god. Or perhaps…”
There could be two personas within a god.
Ser chuckled as he looked at the various vegetables and meats floating in the soup.
“Were we not monkeys but ingredients for the soup?”
Then, he looked up at the sky filled with the smoke of war.
“Did they just reheat the cold things and put them in a bowl? Or did they boil them new with different ingredients?”
While Hermila was tilting her head at Ser’s usual ramblings.
“Hermila!”
Jur rushed in, showing a piece of paper and catching his breath.
“Tch, damn those bastards.”
Seeing that, Ser sighed and threw the soup bowl into the empty space.
Hermila also tied her hair tightly with an old rubber band, facing Jur.
“Ha… Okay. How many this time?”
Breaking the calm and peaceful atmosphere,
The ringing of the bell that announced the start of Erden’s advance echoed through.
“The number is three hundred thousand… and—”
At the same time.
A blood-red magic circle, like it had gathered all the despair of the world, covered Cartia, beginning to swallow the death that seeped into the battlefield.
“All nine Masters, including the ones who should have been dead… are marching towards Cartia.”
